Robert lehman biography

American banker

For the speed skater, see Robert Lehmann. For the biochemist, see I. Robert Lehman.

Robert Owen Lehman, Sr. (September 29, 1891 – August 9, 1969) was an American banker, longtime head of the Lehman Brothers investment bank, and a racehorse owner, art collector, and philanthropist.

Life and career

Lehman was born to a Jewish family in New York City.

Robert lehman biography

He was the son of Philip Lehman (1861–1947) and grandson of Emanuel Lehman, a cofounder of Lehman Brothersinvestment bank, and Carrie Lauer (1865–1937).^[2]

He graduated from Hotchkiss School in 1908^[1] and was a 1913 graduate of Yale University, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Phi chapter).

When his father retired in 1925, "Bobbie" Lehman assumed the leadership role of the family-owned business. He took over the bank during a time when Lehman Brothers, like its competitors Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, was essentially a one-office firm.